NCA Enters Long Term Contract with FORCE

Friday, 02 December 2011 16:14

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) has entered into a long term contract with FORCE Technology for simulator based training of 350 Pilotsand VTS operators focussing on resource management and teamwork betweenpilots and VTS operators.

The contract was secured after the NCA had issuedan international tender for the training. ’We chose FORCE Technology because of their high competence level andtheir experience gained through many years of conducting training with astrong focus on Human Factors and Pedagogical methods within simulator basedtraining’, explains Jon Leon Ervik, Head of Centre for Pilotage and VesselTraffic Services in Norway.Another decisive factor in the choice of FORCE Technology as trainingprovider was the market leading simulator facilities offered in the DANSIMtraining center in Lyngby near Copenhagen, Denmark. Peter K. Sørensen, Headof Department, Training, Ports and Human Factors says, ‘This is asignificant contract for the maritime training department of FORCETechnology. FORCE Technology has been conducting international Pilottraining and provided input to design of VTS operations for many years andwe are very happy that the NCA has chosen our company as training provider.We see this as the result of many years of focused effort on the developmentof efficient training tools ’ High degree of training transferThe contract is five years of length.In this period FORCE Technology willconduct training of approximately 350 Norwegian Pilots and VTS operators.The training will take place at FORCE Technologys advanced simulatortraining center in Lyngby, Denmark.

FORCE Technology provides very knowledgeable and experienced simulatorinstructors and with the five year contract, FORCE Technology will addfurther distance to the other players on the simulator training market. Butbesides this, Peter K. Sørensen highlights the NCA’s choice of experienceand quality when it comes to training. Peter K. Sørensen explains, ‘Together with the simulator instructors’competences, the pedagogical approach is the most important non-technicalfactor in achieving a high degree of training transfer. It is easy to betempted by the low cost simulator training courses offered from some partsof the world. But we have proved that the degree of training transfer isproportional with the quality of the training including the quality of theinstructors, the pedagogical tools and the quality of the simulatorfacilities. Therefore, we are happy that our Norwegian neighbours arecommitted to providing the best possible training for their Pilots and VTSoperators.’

On the technical side, the accuracy of the ship models and the simulatorset-up is the most important factor. FORCE Technology uses the in-housedeveloped software, SimFlex, which is based on the most accuratemathematical model, the DEN-Mark1 model, within maritime simulation. Themathematical core of the software is based on more than 50 years of hydro-and aerodynamic knowledge and supported by a unique and unmatchedcombination of knowledge withinsimulator development and use.Internationally recognised training FORCE Technology have been engaged in development of simulator-basedtraining methods for many years, and our methods are now internationallyrecognised and used in other domains using simulators, e.g. air trafficcontrollers and power station operators. The methods has a.o. resulted in areduction in the failure rate for air traffic controllers from 50% to nearzero.